Vehicle door locking and window operating mechanism



A. A. ABRAMS 3,135,545

VEHICLE DOOR LOCKING AND wmoow OPERATING MECHANISM June .2, 1964 FiledDec. 21, 1961 IlIllllllIlllllllll-Ib-l'llll.

u m K United States Patent Ofi ice 3,135,545 Patented June 2, 19643,135,545 VEHICLE DOOR LOCKING AND WINDOW OPERATING MECHANISM ArnoldAaron Abrams, Solihull, England, assignor to Wilmot Breeden Limited,Birmingham, England, a

British company Filed Dec. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 160,986 Claims priority,application Great Britain Dec. 23, 1960 3 Claims. (Cl. 296-44) It isknown to effect opening and closing of windows in a vehicle by means ofan electrically-operated window regulator for each window and thepresent invention makes use of such an electrically-operated windowregulator.

According to this invention, there is provided on a Vehicle acombination of an electrically-operated window regulator for at leastone openable window, a key-operated door locking system for locking adoor of the vehicle, and means arranged, on operating the key of thedoor locking system to lock the door, to energize also said windowregulator so as to close the Window should it be open. Most convenientlythe key-operated door locking system is an electrically operated systemfor locking a door or for simultaneously locking all the doors of thevehicle. With this arrangement, when the key is operated to lock thedoor or doors of the vehicle, any window which is not in a closedposition is automatically closed.

Conveniently the lock has a key-operated member turnable in bothdirections from a key inserting and withdrawing position, turning thekey in one direction completing a circuitfor locking the door or doorsand in the other direction completing a circuit for unlocking the dooror doors and wherein there is provided, for each electrically regulatedwindow, a window-close relay having a self-holding circuit and arranged,when energized, to complete a circuit for operating the window regulatorto close the window, circuit means arranged, on operat ing the key tolock the door or doors of the vehicle, to complete an energizing circuitfor said window-close relay and a window-operated limit switch operatingwhen the window is fully or almost fully closed to open the circuitthrough which the window close relay is energized. It will thus be seenthat turning the key to lock the door or doors completes the circuit forthe window-close relay for each window. The window-close relays will beheld energized by the self-holding circuit even when the keyoperatedcircuit is opened on withdrawal of the key and this will remain operatedfor sufficient time for the windows to close. The window-close relaystherefore causes the operation of the window regulators to close thewindows and as each window reaches the closed posi tion the energizingcircuit is broken by said windowoperated switch contact so releasing therelay. The key need only be operated momentarily; the self-holdingcircuits will ensure that all the windows close even if the key has beenwithdrawn or returned to the withdrawing position.

Preferably the key is arranged, on turning to lock the door or doors, tocomplete a circuit for a control relay which in turn completes thecircuits for the window-close relays. By using a control relay in thismanner in addition to the window-close relay, the key-operated contactcan be grounded contact which applies a ground to a lead connected toone end of the control relay operating coil, the other end beingconnected to a source of supply potential with respect to ground. Byarranging the keyoperated switch to eflect a ground connection, theconstruction of the switch is very considerably simplified comparedwithswitches, such as have been used hereto fore, in which the rotatableswitch contact has had to be electrically insulated from the bodystructure of the car.

It is the present custom to ground the positive terminal of a storagebattery on a motor vehicle and thus the control relay circuit wouldnormally be permanently connected to the negative terminal of thestorage battery, the circuit being completed by the switch contact forputting a ground on one end of the relay circuit. The control relay maythen have a contact which applies the battery negative to thewindow-close relay for operating the latter.

Conveniently a separate control relay can be provided for eachwindow-close relay.

The aforementioned window-operated contact conveniently comprises amicro-switch which is normally closed but which is opened when theWindow approaches the fully closed position. This micro-switch mayconveniently be connected in series with the operating coil of theassociated window-close relay so that the circuit for the latter isopened as the window approaches the fully closed position.

The electrically-operated window regulator may have,

in the known manner, a separate control switch adjacent each window tobe regulated, the control switch having a manual control element with acentral neutral position from which the control element may be moved ineither direction to complete one or other of two circuits for energizinga window-close motor in one or other direction to open or close thewindow as required. In addition similar control switches may be providedon the dashboard so that the driver of the vehicle can operate thewindows as required. Instead of providing the overriding switches on thedashboard, in some cases it may be convenient to provide them on thedoor adjacent the drivers seat in which case it would not be necessaryto provide a separate switch for regulating the window on that door. Thewindow regulating switches can be used to open or close the windows asrequired. The additional circuits described above will operate howeverto energize the Window regulators to close any open windows when thedoors of the vehicle are locked.

' The following is a description of one embodiment of the invention,reference being made to the accompanying circuit diagram whichillustrates a door-locking and windew-closing system for a motor vehiclehaving four doors each with an adjustable window.

In the diagram the rectangles 10, 11 illustrate respectively the partsof the circuit associated with the two front doors of the vehicle eachof which has a key-operated lock whilst the rectangles 12, 13 illustratethe parts of the circuit associated with the two rear doors which arelockable electrically but do not have separate key-operated lockingmeans. In each door there is an electric lock which is illustrateddiagrammatically at 15. The locks 15 have a fused ground connection 16and can be made to lock the door by applying battery voltage to an inputlead 17 and can be made to unlock the door by applying a battery voltageto input lead 18. The locking means are solenoid operated and the fuses16a in the connections 16 serve to protect the system in the event of aground fault in one of the solenoids. The two front doors havekey-operated devices 20 in which the key, when turned in one directioneffects an electrical connection between a ground lead 21 and a lead 22for effecting locking of the door and, when turned in the otherdirection, effects a connection between the ground lead 21 and a lead 23for unlocking the door. In each door also there is a window-regulatedmotor 25 which will operate to wind the window up if a supply voltagewith respect to ground is applied to an input lead 26 and a groundapplied to a lead 27. The motor will wind the window down if the supplyis applied to lead 26 and a ground to lead 28. In each door also thereis a relay unit. The front doors have relay units 30 which contain fourrelays.

"33 its Of these, two relays 31, 32 have their operating coils connectedin series with the aforementioned leads 22, 23 so that, if the ground isapplied to one or other of these two leads by the key-operated device20, the ground connection extends through the appropriate one of therelay operating coils to a common lead 33 leading via a fuse 34 to oneterminal 35 of a battery 36, the other terminal 37 of which is grounded.The relay units also have two further relays 40, 41. One end of theoperating coi of relay 4% is connected by a lead 42 to ground and theother end is connected via a lead 43 to the aforementioned lead 17 inthe electrical lock of each of the two front doors so that, if batteryvoltage is applied to the lead 17 in either door each of the relays 49is energized. The relays 45 have normally open contacts 44 which whenclosed complete a circuit between the grounded lead 42 and one end ofthe operating coil of relay 41. The other end of the operating coil ofrelay 41 is connected, via a micro-switch 45 which is normally closedbut which is opened when the window is fully shut, to a connection 46leading to the aforementioned battery supply lead 33. The relay 41 hastwo normally-open contacts 47, 48 of which contact 47 is a self-holdingcontact for maintaining the energizing circuit for the relay 41 afterrelay 40 has been released whilst contact 48 effects connection, whenclosed, between the ground lead 42 and the aforementioned lead 27connected to the motor 25.

The two rear doors have relay units 50, 51 each containing two relays52, 53 which correspond to the relays 4t), 41 in the front doors. Oneend of the operating coil of relay 52 is connected to a ground lead 54whilst the other end is connected via a lead 55 to the aforementionedlead 17 in the lock 15 of the associated door and hence to the lead 17in all the other locks. The relay 52 has a normally open contact 56which, when closed, completes a circuit between the ground lead 54 andone end of the operating coil of relay 53. The other end of this relay53 is connected via a micro-switch 57, which is open when the associatedwindow is fully closed, to a lead 58 and thence via a fuse 59 to thebattery terminal 35. The relay has two normally-open contacts 60, 61 ofwhich contact 659 completes a self-holding circuit for maintaining therelay 53 energized after relay 52 has been released whilst contact 61completes a circuit from the ground lead 54 to the input lead 27 of thewindow winding motor 25.

On each door is a manually-operable switch 70 which is normally open butwhich has two operative positions in which connection is effectedbetween a grounded input lead 71 and one or other of two leads 72, 73.The lead 72 is connected to the aforementioned lead 27 so that when theground connection is effected by switch 70 to lead 72 the motor 25 windsthe window up. The lead 73 is connected to the aforementioned lead 28 ofthe motor 25 so that when the ground connection is effected by switch 70to lead 73 the motor 25 winds the window down. In parallel with theswitches 70 on the four doors are four further switches 75 mounted onthe dashboard or at some other point easily accessible to the driver ofthe car enabling the driver to control the four windows. If these fourswitches 75 are mounted on the door adjacent the driving seat, there isno necessity to provide a separate switch 70 for that door. Each ofthese switches 75 enables a connection to be effected between a groundlead 76 and one or other of two leads 77, 78 which are connected to thewindow motor input leads 27, 28. The battery connections to the inputleads 26 for each window motor includes a thermal overload circuitbreaker 79 which typically is arranged to break the circuit if the motor25 is stalled for more than about three seconds. Thus even if one of theswitches 70 or 75 is held in position to complete the circuit forraising the window, the circuit breaker will operate after the windowhas been fully closed.

The operation of the above described system is as follows: For windowregulation each window may be controlled either by the associated switchin the door 70 or by the driver-controlled switch 75. These switchesapply a ground to one or other of the leads 27, 28 of the associatedmotor 25 according as the window is to be raised or lowered so that themotor circuit is then completed via the lead 26 through one of the fuses34 or 59 to the battery terminal 35, the motor thus operating to movethe window to be up or down as required. If a key is inserted into thekey-operated device 20 on one or other the two front doors, an earthconnection can be made to one or other of the leads 22, 23 according asto whether the door is to be locked or unlocked. These leads 22, 23complete ground connections via the appropriate one of the relays 31, 32and lead 33 to the battery terminal 35. The operation of the relay 31,for locking a door, closes a normally-open contact 80 which effects theconnection between the battery supply lead 33 and the lock input lead 17of the lock 15 on the associated door so as to lock that door. Thecontact 80 also effects connection to a lead 81 leading to the lockinput connection 17 on each of the other doors so that operation of thekey in either one of the front doors to complete the ground connectionto lead 22 will lock all four doors. The closing of contact 80 alsocompletes a connection between the battery input lead 33 and a lead 43leading to one end of the winding of relay 40. Also, through the lead 81power will be supplied to the corresponding relay 40 of the other frontdoor and to the relays 52 in the two rear doors. These relays 40, 52 onoperating, prepare circuits for the relays 41 in the front doors andrelays 53 in the rear doors which circuits are each completed, if theassociated window is open, through the micro-switch 45 or 57 so that therelays 41 or 53 operate if the associated window is open. Operation ofthe relays 41 or 53 completes self-holding contacts so that these relaysremain operative even if the key is returned to its normal position torelease relays 49, 52. The relays 41, 53 also complete the contacts 48,61 for applying ground to the input leads 27 to the various windowwinding motors so that each of the windows is wound up. As soon as anywindow reaches its top limit the associated micro-switch contacts willopen so releasing the appropriate relay 41 or 53.

It will thus be seen that on operating either of the locks 20 to lock adoor, all the four doors are electrically locked and, if any of the fourwindows are open, the open window or windows will be raised to theclosed position and the circuits will then be broken by themicroswitches to leave the winding motors unenergized. If the key isturned to the unlock position to complete the circuit from the groundlead 21 via the lead 23 and relay 32 to the battery terminal 35, therelay 32 will operate and will close a contact 83 which will completethe circuit to the input 18 of the lock 15 to unlock that door and via alead 84 will also complete the circuit from the battery terminal 35through the closed contact 83 to the inputs 18 on each of the other doorlocks to unlock all the other doors.

In the circuit shown the switches 70, 75 carry the operating current forthe associated motor 25. The switches might alternatively be arranged toapply a ground to the appropriate relays 41 or 53 to elfect closing ofthe window and to control the opening of the window by means of anadditional relay for each door so that the switches 70, 75 need onlypass the relay operating current and not the motor supply current.

If the key operated switches 20 could carry the full operating current,then the relays 31, 32 would be unnecessary, the key contacts thenreplacing the relay contacts 80, 83.

I claim:

1. A vehicle securing system comprising an electrically operated windowregulator for at least one openable Window, a key operated door lockingsystem for locking at least one door of the vehicle in which there isprovided, for the said electrically regulated window, a window-closerelay having self-holding means, whereby when the key of the doorlocking system is turned to the closed position momentarily the saidwindow regulator remains energized to permit the complete closure of itsassociated window even if the key is turned back and withdrawn, andarranged when energized to complete a circuit for operating the windowregulator to close the window, a control relay to complete the circuitof at least one of the window close relays, the control relay circuitbeing com-,a pleted by a momentary switch operated by said key applyingground to one end of said circuit when the key is turned to lock thedoor, the other end being connected to a source of potential relative toground, and a window operated limit switch operating when the window isat least almost fully closed to open the circuit through which thewindow close relay is energized.

2. A vehicle securing system as defined in claim 1 wherein eachregulated window includes a thermal overload circuit breaker arranged tobreak the circuit if the regulated window is overloaded.

3. A vehicle securing system as defined in claim 1 wherein the doorlocking system is electrical, the door has an electric lock, and theswitch operated by the key 10 serves to energize electrically the lockto lock the door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,105,830 Aiken Jan. 18, 1938 2,124,037 Lavigne July 19, 1938 2,834,420Guess May 13, 1958

1. A VEHICLE SECURING SYSTEM COMPRISING AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED WINDOWREGULATOR FOR AT LEAST ONE OPENABLE WINDOW, A KEY OPERATED DOOR LOCKINGSYSTEM FOR LOCKING AT LEAST ONE DOOR OF THE VEHICLE IN WHICH THERE ISPROVIDED, FOR THE SAID ELECTRICALLY REGULATED WINDOW, A WINDOW-CLOSERELAY HAVING SELF-HOLDING MEANS, WHEREBY WHEN THE KEY OF THE DOORLOCKING SYSTEM IS TURNED TO THE CLOSED POSITION MOMENTARILY THE SAIDWINDOW REGULATOR REMAINS ENERGIZED TO PERMIT THE COMPLETE CLOSURE OF ITSASSOCIATED WINDOW EVEN IF THE KEY IS TURNED BACK AND WITHDRAWN, ANDARRANGED WHEN ENERGIZED TO COMPLETE A CIRCUIT FOR OPERATING THE WINDOWREGULATOR TO CLOSE THE WINDOW, A CONTROL RELAY TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUITOF AT LEAST ONE OF THE WINDOW CLOSE RELAYS, THE CONTROL RELAY CIRCUITBEING COMPLETED BY A MOMENTARY SWITCH OPERATED BY SAID KEY APPLYINGGROUND TO ONE END OF SAID CIRCUIT WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED TO LOCK THEDOOR, THE OTHER END BEING CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF POTENTIAL RELATIVE TOGROUND, AND A WINDOW OPERATED LIMIT SWITCH OPERATING WHEN THE WINDOW ISAT LEAST ALMOST FULLY CLOSED TO OPEN THE CIRCUIT THROUGH WHICH THEWINDOW CLOSE RELAY IS ENERGIZED.